High school football: They’re big! They’re fast! They’re the #FAB15

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The Register has revealed its Fab 15 teams for 2016, and it includes three Orange County players. The top player overall is a quarterback from Washington, Jacob Eason, who was recently selected as the national offensive player of the year. Click through the slideshow to see the entire Fab 15 first team.

There is a quarterback at the top of the list, but this year’s Fab 15 belongs to the wide receivers.

Seven speedy wideouts made the Register’s annual ranking of the best high school recruits from the Western United States heading into National Signing Day on Wednesday.

The group swells to 12 of the 30 players selected if the multi-talented recruits listed at “athlete” end up at wide receiver.

Orange County placed a quarterback and wide receiver on the list – Santa Margarita’s duo of quarterback KJ Costello and wideout Dylan Crawford, who are expected to sign with Stanford and Michigan, respectively.

Javon McKinley of Centennial of Corona, expected to sign with Notre Dame, ranks as the No. 1 wide receiver in the West.

Quarterback Jacob Eason from Lake Stevens of Washington – an early signee with Georgia – is the top overall prospect.

Last year, the No. 1 ranking went to USC defensive back Iman Marshall. UCLA quarterback Josh Rosen, the Pac-12 freshman offensive player of the year, was two spots behind at No. 3.

The Fab 15 is dotted with questions. Five first-team selections head to National Signing Day uncommitted. Announcements from Mique Juarez of North Torrance and De La Salle of Concord’s Devin Asiasi and Boss Tagaloa will be among the most anticipated for college football recruiting fans.

Eason is Georgia’s best QB recruit since Matthew Stafford. Scout.com ranks the strong-armed Eason second only to Mississippi QB commit Shea Patterson of Florida’s IMG Academy. Eason’s father, Tony, played at Notre Dame but isn’t the former NFL quarterback with the same name.

Status: Georgia (signed)

2. MIQUE JUAREZ, OLB, 6-2, 235

North Torrance

Juarez has excellent speed (4.69 in the 40-yard dash) and athleticism for his size. Scout.com ranks him as the No. 1 outside linebacker in the nation. The former USC commit is expected to announce his decision on National Signing Day. He made trips to BYU, Alabama, Washington, Oklahoma and Mississippi.

Status: uncommitted

3. OLUWOLE BETIKU, DE, 6-4, 239

Serra (Gardena)

Betiku is relatively new to football but is the top-ranked defensive end in the West by Scout.com, which slotted him third nationally. His biggest strength could be his 4.57 speed. The one-time UCLA commit has already enrolled at USC. Huntington Beach defensive end Liam Jimmons also enrolled early at USC.

Status: USC (signed)

4. CALEB KELLY, OLB, 6-2, 220

Clovis West

It’s a deep year in the West at outside linebacker. Kelly and Mique Juarez ranked first-second in the region by Scout.com, just ahead off Mater Dei’s Curtis Robinson (Stanford). Kelly distinguished himself with his well-rounded play. His decision is expected to be between Oklahoma and Notre Dame.

Status: uncommitted

5. JAVON McKINLEY, WR, 6-2, 200

Centennial (Corona)

Scouting insiders like McKinley, but he’s still ranked surprisingly low nationally by Scout.com, Rivals, ESPN and 247 Sports. From the one-handed catches to pure speed, he flashed plenty of playmaking skills for the Huskies. His Pac-5 rivals know there wasn’t a more dangerous receiver in their division.

Status: Notre Dame (commit)

6. KJ COSTELLO, QB, 6-5, 215

Santa Margarita

The strong-armed Costello, who broke some of Carson Palmer’s records at Santa Margarita, is hungry to play as quickly as possible at Stanford. He earned a personal-best 4.3 grade-point average in the first semester of his senior year, so expect him to learn and progress quickly with the Cardinal.

Status: Stanford (commit)

7. JONAH WILLIAMS, OL, 6-5, 280

Folsom

Williams was a first-team all-state selection by CalHiSports.com. CalHi noted that some longtime observers in the Sacramento area believe he is the best offensive lineman they’ve seen. Folsom loves to pass the ball, so Williams is well-schooled on pass protection.

Status: Alabama (commit)

8. DAVID LONG, CB, 6-0, 175

Loyola (Los Angeles)

Long is one of the fastest of the top prospects in the West. (Scout.com estimates his time as 4.4 in the 40.) He plays with a burst and earned the reputation of being a shutdown cornerback. He’s a major recruiting prize out the West for Coach Jim Harbaugh.

Status: Michigan (commit)

9. JACK JONES, ATH, 5-11, 175

Long Beach Poly

The wide receiver/cornerback is another burner, featuring 4.55 speed in the 40. He had 42 receptions for 837 yards and 11 touchdowns in nine games last season. Here is a fun Twitter handle to check Wednesday: JackJonesToUA … as in Alabama.

Status: uncommitted

10. LAMAR JACKSON, S, 6-2, 210

Franklin (Elk Grove)

The West’s top safety is physically imposing, runs well and plays tough. He committed to Nebraska on Tuesday, bolstering a recruiting class that includes San Juan Hills quarterback and early signee Patrick O’Brien. Jackson earns bonus points with his creative video announcement.

Status: Nebraska (commit)

11. TYLER VAUGHNS, WR, 6-2, 172

Bishop Amat

Vaughns isn’t a burner, but he is an athletic target who caught a touchdown pass from Fab 15 QB KJ Costello in the U.S. Army All-America Bowl in January. Scout.com ranks him as the No. 1 receiver in the West and believes he could play defensive back in college.

Status: USC (commit)

12. DEVIN ASIASI, TE, 6-4, 265

De La Salle (Concord)

Asiasi was a monster target for one of the state’s powerhouse teams. He showed athleticism and strong hands. He caught a long TD on a seam route from FAB 15 QB KJ Costello last month at the U.S. Army All-American Bowl. Scout.com notes that he also could play defensive end in college. USC and UCLA are competing to sign Asiasi, who could be a package deal with teammate Boss Tagaloa.

Status: uncommitted

13. BOSS TAGALOA, DT, 6-1, 295

De La Salle (Concord)

Tagaloa bulls forward and knows how to finish tackles. He recorded 61/2 sacks and 15 tackles for losses last season for the state champion Spartans. He ranks as the best defensive tackle in the West by Scout.com. He also could sign as a package deal with teammate Devin Asiasi. USC, UCLA, Washington and Michigan are in contention.

Status: uncommitted

14. N’KEAL HARRY, WR, 6-3, 210

Chandler (Ariz.)

The West’s strength this year is at wide receiver, and Harry is another reason why. With his blend of size and speed, he is similar to Javon McKinley. He is a huge in-state keeper for the Sun Devils.

Status: Arizona State (commit)

15. MALIK HENRY, QB, 6-2, 185

Long Beach Poly

There’s a debate about how good the well-traveled and touted Henry will be in college. This much is certain: The former Oaks Christian, Westlake and IMG Academy QB has the potential to be a standout. Henry is an athletic quarterback who can escape the pocket and he possesses the passing skills to burn defenses.

Dan Albano has been a high school sports writer at The Orange County Register since 1993. He covers football and all the aquatics: boys and girls water polo and boys and girls swimming. Dan's passion for water sports has earned him the nickname, Aqua Dan, in the newsroom and taken him to multiple U.S. Olympic Swim Trials and many USA water polo events as a reporter. He also writes about high school football recruiting, including The Register's annual FAB 15 teams that list the top high school football players in the Western U.S. before National Signing Day. He compiles the Hot 150 list of football players to watch in Orange County before each season. During football season, he also partners with Steve Fryer and Jonathan Khamis on OCVarsity.com's Gridiron Show and hosts a weekly podcast on Trinity League football. In 2015, Dan received the Bud Dwyer Jr. media award from the Southern California High School Football Coaches Association. Dan is a graduate of Cal State Fullerton, where he worked at The Daily Titan as a news reporter, sports reporter, managing editor and opinion editor.